Williams could No.9 dilemma,
BERNARD Jackman believes the Dragons may have the answer to the big question Welsh rugby followers are asking: “Who will be Wales’ scrum-half at the World Cup?”
Rhys Webb’s move to Toulon at the end of the season will deem him ineligible to be picked by Wales coach Warren Gatland under the Welsh Rugby Union’s recently-introduced 60-cap rule for exiles.
And that has caused consternation among supporters, with Gareth Davies and Aled Davies having yet to prove they can make the red No.9 jersey their own.
But Dragons’ boss Jackman reckons Rhodri Willliams, who will join the Gwent region next season from Bristol, has every chance of being Gatland’s favoured scrum-half in Japan in two years’ time.
Williams picked up three caps – against Tonga and Australia in 2013 and Scotland in the following year’s Six Nations – before leaving the Scarlets for Bristol.
He had previously starred as Wales finished runners-up to England at the Under-20 World Cup in France.
Williams has been in scintillating form for Greene King IPA Championship leaders Bristol, with 10 tries in 11 outings to rival New Zealand star Steven Luatua as their player of the season.
But the 24-year-old has decided to return to Wales because he wants to make Gatland’s squad and would have been snared by the 60-cap rule had he remained the wrong side of the border.
“He’s going to be a cracking signing. Maybe, because he’s been playing in England people, have lost touch with his form, but he’s coming back to Wales a far better player than he was when he left, and he was a very good player leaving,” beamed Jackman.
“Rhodri is a really good coup for us to get and, if he can be firstchoice for the Dragons, I think he could force his way into Welsh reckoning for the World Cup.”
Asked if Williams could solve Wales’ No.9 conundrum, the former Ireland hooker answered: “One hundred per cent – I genuinely feel that he has the potential to do that.
“If he’s first-choice for us, he will really put his hand up for Wales. He’s scored loads of tries this season and has got lots of paces.
“It’s like in Ireland where, if you play in a specialist position like hooker, tight-head prop or nine, you have only got to be better than one other scrum-half from the other provinces, to be in the national squad.
“This November was a bit unusual in Wales in that the Scarlets had two scrum-halves in Warren’s squad, but one of them, Aled Davies, is joining the Ospreys next season.”
There were four Dragons in a Wales match-day squad for the first time since the 2011 World Cup third-place play-off defeat against Australia in New Zealand, during last month’s victory over Georgia.
Centre Tyler Morgan was also picked for the autumn internationals, but had to withdraw because of an ankle injury – he’s had an operation to repair the damage and will be out until next month.
And an upbeat Jackman predicted there could be more Dragons in Gatland’s party for the Six Nations if they breathe fire in the big Welsh derbies against Cardiff Blues and the Ospreys over the Christmas period.
“We feel we can get a couple more in there. Leon Brown, Elliot Dee, Cory Hill, Tyler Morgan and